David Gray
A New Day At Midnight

THE REVIEW

I consider David Gray's career one of the few musical fairy tales that has become a reality.
After years of an honorable singer-songwriter career, consistently snubbed by critics and the public, the artist from Manchester achieved unexpected success with "White Ladder," which established him as the Bob Dylan of the end of the century.
A handful of songs, mostly centered on the difficult relationship between singer-songwriter and record label indifference, not only saw him reach the top of the charts for an extended period but also marked him as a precursor of the "new acoustic movement," which shortly after would launch acoustic bands to world domination.

The anticipation for new David Gray music was therefore filled with curiosity.

"A New Day At Midnight" meets all expectations. It confirms the artist's undeniable talent but more importantly, it shows how success and winning formulas do not always hinder professional growth. The meeting of seemingly distant and contrasting elements forms the central thread of the entire album. Songs, as usual, of great emotional impact, find a fascinating form in the subtle union of acoustic and electronic, the latter aptly represented by samplers and drum machines, capable of providing an intimate soundscape without stealing the spotlight.

The atmosphere that emerges is also the result of the fusion of different moods. Strongly melancholic tones, inevitably deriving from the loss of his father, and more sunny and optimistic interludes, attributable in this case to the birth of his son, work together to create one of the best works of 2002.

Ideal soundtrack for a sunset, as the cover seems to suggest, but also suitable for the subsequent dawn, "A New Day At Midnight" is an album that spreads emotions in the form of notes and words.